We talked to a handful of undergraduate and graduate students prior to commencement to find out what they think will be the next big thing in science and engineering and how their plans after graduation reflect those ideas.

Betzig received the award for his groundbreaking contributions to microscopy. He pioneered a method known as single-molecule microscopy, or “nanoscopy,” which allows cellular structures at the nanoscale to be observed using an optical microscope, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014.

A conversation with Stevan Nadj-Perge, assistant professor of applied physics and materials science, about using 2-D materials in the development of a device that could turn quantum computing concepts into usable technology.